America's strongest and most important law for protecting wildlife, the Endangered Species Act, is under a coordinated assault. More than 80 bills and amendments have been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate that would dismantle the Act, and dozens of policy provisions in year-end legislation threaten numerous birds and other wildlife.
Please urge your members of Congress to oppose efforts to dismantle the Endangered Species Act.
To whom it may concern:
I strongly urge you to oppose any efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act, including harmful policy riders that are attached to year-end legislation.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is an essential safety net for America's wildlife, and it is working. As a constituent who supports bird conservation, I'm thankful that the ESA has helped to recover species like the Bald Eagle, Brown Pelican, and Peregrine Falcon. In all, it has helped to save more than 99 percent of the listed species from permanent extinction.
I am dismayed to see that there are efforts underway in both the House and Senate that would gut the vital protections of the ESA. Damaging provisions included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the House-passed energy package, and the Interior appropriations bills in the House and Senate would undermine this bedrock law and put numerous species at risk, including the Greater-Sage Grouse.
We can all agree that we have a responsibility to prevent extinction, and that the recovery of species benefits everyone. But legislation that removes the vital and successful safety net provided by the Endangered Species Act will only serve to accelerate extinction.
I strongly urge you to oppose these bills, and any effort that would weaken our nation's most important law for protecting wildlife.
[Your comment here]
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
